Cold and Dark
by PhantomBowtie
Summary: "What goes together better than cold...and dark?" Pitch may be defeated, but his words won't leave Jack Frost be. Unwanted by the Guardians and alone, when Jack crashes in a strange wood and meets the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, will he find it more welcoming than the misunderstandings of the Guardians? Rated T because I'm unsure of how to get where I'm going. NO SLASH.
1. The Beginning, as most stories have

**Hello, any readers who might be interested and read this! I was looking for ROTG/Nightmare Before Christmas crossovers, and I discovered this is a genre terribly ignored! The ones that are there are great, but there's not that many...so I decided to add to it! I'm not sure how many-if any-people will choose to read this, but if you do, I hope you enjoy. :)**

**To those readers of my other fic, _A Visit From Afar, _I promise I'm not going to ignore that one-this has been chasing itself around in my head for a while and really had to write it! ^-^**

**I do not own either The Nightmare Before Christmas ****or ****Rise of the Guardians, though I believe in the latter, and possibly the former! XD **

"What goes together better than cold…and dark?"

Pitch Black's words, spoken before the final battle with the Guardians, echoed around in Jack Frost's head incessantly as he flew over the desolate mountain ranges that marked the top of the world, trailing a howling maelstrom behind and around him. Eyes closed, he hurtled through the air as fast as he could, mind in anguish.

Why had it all gone so very wrongly? If only he hadn't followed that voice after dropping Sophie off at home, gone after his memories…He squeezed his eyes shut even tighter, refusing to put his desire into words, especially now that it had become so clear it was never to be. He'd gone back to the Guardians, helped to defeat Pitch—but only for Jaime, his first believer.

Jaime. That was his one true regret at leaving—never seeing the boy again. Jaime was so full of wonder, of hope, and fun that it was pleasure merely to be around him, to hear his bright chatter, to see his gap-toothed smile—but the Guardians had made it clear on Easter that he was no longer wanted, and Jack hadn't given them time to change their minds after Pitch's defeat. He had only taken a moment to rest his hand on the top of Jaime's head, then flown off in the midst of a summoned storm so fierce none of the others were able to follow him.

He hadn't wanted their censure, their pity—he wasn't one of them, and they would never accept him. All he wanted was to get away, to fly as fast and far as he could, to never see any of them ever again. Because if he did, if he saw them together as a front, as a smiling, happy family—it might truly destroy him to know he would never have that.

So that is what he did—going so far and so fast that he lost track of time, of location, of anything but the agony within him, until he crashed exhausted at the foot of a gnarled tree.

Hours later, that is h where Jack Skeleton, resident Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, found the Winter Spirit.

He had awoken to feel a biting chill in the air, and upon looking out the window had discovered—much to his shock—that everything seemed to be covered in a thick layer of some fluffy, white substance which was _falling_ from the _sky. _ Some white clumps flew in through the open window and landed on his skull, making him flinch. They were wet, and cold. He brightened. How inconceivable! Something new! This was exactly what he needed, a distraction from the usual Halloween routine! Practically jumping up and down with excitement, the Pumpkin King left his tower in a quick fashion, stopping only to whistle for Zero at the graveyard.

Looking around, he saw the denizens of Halloween Town out and about in the white…stuff. Several hags were cackling in glee, and skeletons hid in piles of the stuff, jumping out in the attempt to frighten ghouls and witches.

The mayor slowly climbed the stairs to his speaking platform (falling several times in the process—apparently the white substance made everything slippery). Upon finally reaching the top, he opened his mouth to speak, only to have a particularly large clump of white fall from the sky into his mouth. Everyone looked delighted (in their own manner), but nobody seemed quite sure of what to _do _ with the strange new stuff.

The skeleton debated joining them, but something seemed to draw him inexplicably on, out of Halloween Town. His mind whirled furiously, trying to figure out what could be done with this strange new phenomenon. He was sure it was something big, something marvelous—but what? If only he could get thos to happen much more often. The thought made him giddy, and so the Pumpkin King resolved then and there to cammandeer whatever it was that had made this wonderful white…stuff.

He was so caught up in his thought s that he didn't notice the obstacle in his path until it was too late…

_CRASH!_

Groaning, he looked up out of the mound of fluffy coldness. What _had _he fallen over? True, it had felt as cold as the stuff falling from the sky, but it had been…solid. He had thought that the…stuff…goodness, he really needed a better name for it…was soft, not tangible. Peering upwards in confusion, the skeleton froze when he saw what had caused him to fall.

_ Froze, _he thought. Perhaps that described the falling substance. Then he went back to staring in interest at the obstacle in his path.

Lying half-covered by huge drifts of the fluffy white _frozen_ stuff lay a boy. At least, the Pumpkin King assumed it was a boy—while he could have been a ghoul or some such, from this distance it seemed unlikely. The sprawled figure was white-haired, yet there seemed to be no clear air of "old age" around him. He seemed to be garbed in a blue hooded garment from what little Skeleton Jack though he could see, but the mound of…real, what _should_ he call it?—covered the figure too much for him to be sure of anything else. The boy's skin was paler than death, and lay so still that his observer wondered if he was indeed deceased, and, if that were to be the case, if he would resurrect in some way to join Halloween Town—then noted the faint, barely perceptible rise and fall of the lad's chest. So. Alive, then. Well, that always worked too. Skeleton n Jack stared some more. What an interesting boy.

After several moments, he became aware finally registered that Zero was barking and pulling anxiously at his clothes. Reluctantly, he stood , brushing off his black garments. It was regrettable he had to leave his interesting find and return to the normal routine, but if nothing else was to be done…

Then it hit him, and the thought was so simple he could have struck himself. He didn't _have _ to leave the stranger behind—he could be brought back to town! That way, he could have a mystery, something new, _and _a break from his normal routine! Chuckling to himself, Skeleton Jack stooped over, grabbed the boy gently, and strode back to town whistling, his precious burden clasped in his arms, grabbing a stick the lad seemed to have a death-grasp on.

Jack Frost woke slowly, clenching his staff, feeling stiff. Apparently, spending so much energy on a snowstorm and losing control was a _bad _idea. He wondered where he had ended up; the last memory he had was flight, a state he was very obviously no longer in. He could only hope he hadn't landed anywhere near the Guardians—wouldn't that be just his luck!, he thought bitterly, to expend so much energy getting away that he was driven right back to square one.

He moved a bit, and was alarmed to hear the rustling of cloth around him. Now that he thought about it, Jack noticed that the surface he was lying on was soft, very soft indeed—but not the softness he had come to associate with snow or wind, his two constant companions. He was in a _bed, _then—somewhere he hadn't had the luxury of lying in since he was changed into a Spirit. That meant somebody had taken him in, had found him, and he meant to find out who. _Please not the Guardians, please not the Guardians—_bracing himself, he opened his eyes. And stared in shock.

He was indeed lying in a bed—but it was unlike any others he could ever remember having seen before. The sheets were a cool, shadowy grey color which seemed to shimmer different hues of blue whenever Jack moved. Rubbing his fingers experimentally across it, he noticed it felt so smooth, so insubstantial that he almost expected it to float away. _Perfect for a Winter Spirit_, he thought in awe. There were many pillows behind him, from the feel of it, also coated in the same mysterious fabric. Looking up, Jack realized he was in a canopied bed, but the way it was arranged was anything but normal. The "roof" of the canopy wasn't made of cloth at all, but appeared to be the massive bones of some gigantic creature; it spanned from far above his head to the sides. Huge, pinnacle-like teeth dangled down and pointed upwards, like strange stalagmites and stalactites. The bed itself was nestled in the gargantuan maw, creating strange patterns and dim light to come through. Frost had spread out from where Jack lay in fern-like tendrils, creating another layer of color on the blanket.

All in all, it was singularly the oddest room Jack had ever seen, and he hadn't even seen the rest yet!

He felt something stirring within his chest; to his astonishment, he realized it was Wonder, the first he had felt since Pitch had broken his staff. Bewildered, he ''prodded" it dubiously, sure it would remind him of the Guardians and the hurt he still associated with them, but it showed no signs of doing so. Reassured—if still baffled—Jack prepared to look around the rest of the room.

Before he could do so, however, the sound of a door opening reverberated through the air, and when Jack could see the _person_ who had entered, he could only stare.

If he had thought the room was odd, the man—for man it clearly was, no matter what else it may be—was odder yet. He was tall, almost abnormally so, and garbed in stark black with a small accentuation of white lines on it. His outfit was a suit, with a spiky, pointed collar. This in itself might not appear the most unusual of clothing choices at all, but it was the man himself who put the finishing touch on the ensemble. He was, without a trace of doubt, a skeleton. There was no part clothed in flesh, only bare bone—but while others might have reached for weapons or flinched back in alarm, Jack leaned forward, fascinated. This man was unique, individual, and dark—and Jack _liked_ him, even before he had said a thing.

The first words the man uttered were an exuberant exclamation, "So, I see you've awoken! I understand you may be worried about where you are, but let me reassure you! You are safe in Halloween Town, though I do find it odd I have never seen you before. I found you in the woods and said to myself, "_Jack, this lad looks like he could use a place to stay, why not take him back with you?" _

He beamed, and Jack felt his lips curving into an answering grin at the man's sheer energy and excitement. The skeleton was talking to him, and it was _grinning. _How could this get any better?

"Jack?" he asked, puzzled. Had he introduced himself to the man and simply didn't remember it?

The figure before him whacked himself in the head. "Forgive me—where are my manners?" Straightening up, he bowed courteously. "I am Skeleton Jack, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town."

"Jack?" he asked excitedly, "But that's my name too! Jack, Jack Frost!"

Then what the skeleton-man had said registered in his mind and he leapt up, excited, to perch on his staff, noticing with pleasure as he did so that he came nowhere near close to hitting the top part of the mouth his bed resided in. The skeleton—Jack—gave an inarticulate cackle of delight at seeing his movement.

"Halloween Town? You mean _here_? What's it like? I've never heard of it before! That means…" His eyes widened. "It's snowing, right?"

Skeleton Jack, who had appeared amused and pleased at his sudden barrage of questions, now looked puzzled. "Snow? What is it that you mean, _snow?"_

In response, Jack threw himself forward, flying to the window. Pointing at the icy spectacle below, he said laughingly, "That's snow!"

Skeleton Jack looked thrilled. "Is that what it's called?! What else do you know about it? Where does it live? What does it _do_?!"

"You-you've never had snow before, have you?" asked Jack, wonderingly. At his companion's headshake, he beamed. "Well, it looks like it's up to me to teach you! It doesn't really _live _anywhere, but as for what you can do with it…" His features curled into a wickedly mischievous smile, and before Skeleton Jack knew what was happening, a large ball of the 'snow' whacked him straight on in the face.

He stood still for a moment, then began to screech with hysterical laughter. Reaching out the window, he, too, grabbed a handful of snow and lobbed it at Jack Frost, who promptly deflected it, but not the next snowball. Lips curling into a smile of pleasure, Jack Frost let out a whoop—and the all-out Snow War began.

Hours later, the two flopped unceremoniously on the bed, grinning and a bit out of breath. As neither of them could feel cold or tire easily, the battle had gone on for far longer than Jack was used to, a fact he enjoyed immensely.

"So," queried Skeleton Jack, "How is it you know so much about this wonderful stuff?"

"I _make _it," retorted Jack, eyes shining with glee. The response he received was far different than what he had expected.

Skeleton Jack's eye sockets widened. (Idly, Jack wondered how they could—wasn't bone solid? Then he shrugged it off. If the skeleton could move around, talk, and _smile, _who was he to say bone couldn't have expressions?) If before he had looked ecstatic, now he appeared positively thrilled. "You _make _it?" he breathed in wonder. If only he could get the other jack to stay here, in Halloween Town!

Jack laughed merrily; the sounds seeming to fill the room and dance about. "Yeah, I've been doing it as long as I can remember," he confided. Then he frowned. "Of course, nobody ever saw me, and those that did…" Trailing off, he felt as though a heavy weight had once more descended upon his shoulders and chest. What was he thinking? Sure, he had had fun with the skeleton, but the other would want him to leave. Nobody ever wanted him to stay. _Not even those commanded to by the Moon,_ he thought bitterly.

Next to him, Skeleton Jack was thinking the opposite. Surely a being of such great power would never want to stay in a little town like this one! After all, with snow at your fingertips, what could it really offer? Then he saw Jack's troubled expression, and the only thing he could think of was to get the boy to smile again. He knew what it was like to be outcast—nobody should have to deal with that.

"Stay here with us!" he exclaimed. "We of Halloween Town would love to have you here—and, of course, would relish in any snow you might choose to bestow upon us."

When the other's only reply was silence, Skeleton Jack began to fear he had misjudged the boy—he probably had many other places to go, people to see…Then Jack Frost's face split into the biggest smile the Pumpkin King had ever seen.

"I'd love to!" he replied Jack, exuberantly. "That-that is, if it's not too much of a bother for you…"

"How could _you_ be a bother?" asked Skeleton Jack warmly, silently swearing to scare whoever had given the lad such a crack-brained notion through to next year. _Beyond, if I can manage it, _he thought grimly. Whoever it was had clearly underappreciated the Winter fellow. They'd not get a chance to make it better or worse—Skeleton Jack intended to keep Jack Frost in great happiness here for the rest of eternity. _He _and the residents of town appreciated Jack, and were going to do their very best to show it.

"Let's go tell the town this great news!" crowed Skeleton Jack, grabbing Jack Frost's hand and practically pulling him out of the room.

Running alongside him, Jack Frost began to laugh again. Oh, this, now _this_ would be _fun._

_After all, what went together better than cold and dark?_

**So? What did you all think? **

**I'm unsure as to whether or not this will be a one-shot or not-it all depends on: a.) My own personal motivation, (though if I do continue, I know where I want it to end up), and b.) if anyone wants more and reviews telling me so/ likes it.**

**Here's to hoping!**

** ~PhantomBowtie**


	2. Of Halloween and Surprises

**Here's chapter two-thank you to all those who reviewed! I hope you like this next chapter-I certainly enjoyed writing it =^^=**

**It may be the longest chapter I've ever written! HAPPY ONE-DAY-LATE HALLOWEEN!**

**If you have any ideas or comments, let me know. :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rise of the Guardians or the Nightmare before Christmas**

Sometime later, Jack Frost stood nervously beside Skeleton Jack facing a sea of upturned faces, a motley array of creatures. He saw skeletons, green-faced and sutured forms. They were tall and short, grotesque and elegant, ghastly and coldly beautiful, warped and shapely. Jack noticed, however, that even the most twisted had a certain quality to them, a...a sort of…well, clearness, for the lack of a better word. These folks, with their gnashing teeth, serpent-hair, or death-like features should have, by all rights repulsed him, made him want to blast ice attacks at them until they were no more, but he inexplicably found himself drawn to them. This alone puzzled him; after all, hadn't Pitch offered him the same thing Skeleton Jack had, or very nearly the same? And yet, he hadn't felt this warmth for Pitch, and he had accepted an offer very like the first from a complete stranger— why was that? These people, he thought confusedly, felt….different, somehow.

As Skeleton Jack introduced him to the waiting townspeople, a clamor arose from the assembled mass, leaving Jack Frost dumbfounded. All of these people were making such a loud noise…for him. Because they saw him and wanted to. It took his breath away. So many people…

Skeleton Jack raised his hands for silence, getting it after a moment.

"I realize that many of you have questions for Jack," said the skeleton, "And you can all ask him in a moment. "(He looked sideways to Jack for permission. Jack could only nod bemusedly. They were going to ask him questions about himself? The only one to do that before had been Jaime—he wasn't even sure what he would say). "However, there are a few announcements I have for you. Firstly, Jack here is the one responsible for the stuff falling from the sky—it's called _snow_, and he makes it himself. And secondly, Jack is one of us now!"

Excited mutterings broke out, and then the crowd surged forward to them, enveloping the stage they had been standing on. Jack flinched, but resolutely stood his ground. If he was going to be living here, he'd need to meet the people—and if they all turned out to be bad, he still had Skeleton Jack.

Barrages of questions flooded him.

Where was he from?

Would he make snow often?

Was he really going to stay with them?

What was his favorite color?

What sort of creature was he?

The questions went on and on, and as time passed, Jack started to relax, then laugh. These people were great! Eventually, he was having a wonderful time.

After a while, during a lull in the mob, Jack felt a tapping on his shoulder. He turned to see Skeleton Jack. "You're probably tired

"Come, I'll walk you to where you'll be staying. We had you in the Guest Tower when you awoke, but as you seem to suit it so well, would you like for it to be yours? We can always build another for guests."

Jack smiled tentatively. A whole place for himself? He'd never had more than his pond before. "I'd like that, thank you. There's just one thing I have to change…"

Leaping up into the air, Jack soared over the massive gate, landing gently in the withered field surrounding the tower. There were a few dead-looking plants standing in stiff, almost purple clumps by the tower's base, continuing out in a trampled and paler color. A few vines had evidently tried to climb the tower in bygone days, but the only evidence left was stiff, crumpled-looking roots and dead tendrils.

Reaching out, Jack touched his staff to the grass, frowning heavily in concentration. Next, he flew to the tower wall, and lastly to the gate itself, repeating the process in all places. Skeleton Jack cocked his head, puzzled. What was he…?

Fortunately for the skeleton, he hadn't long to wait. From every spot Jack had touched with his staff, tendrils and columns of ice grew and twisted. The dead bases of the vines attached to the icy ones, the latter twining around the tower with a supple, swirly grace, even going so far as to grow tiny leaves made of ice. Frost patterns covered every inch of the tower walls. Icy ferns grew up out of the trampled field-let, and jagged pinnacles of iced of various sizes jutted up at various heights. Frost also covered the gate, giving it a misty, almost antique-looking sight.

Within moments, the black, grim-looking tower looked like a darkly glittering forest of ice and frost, almost see-through shapes reflecting off each other and distorting the images all around it. Skeleton Jack thought in awe that it looked like the most magical place he had ever seen, an enchanted forest of frozen particles hanging suspended in the twilight-ish air, the perfect abode for a Winter spirit of Halloween Town.

Entering, Skeleton Jack began to give him a tour of the tower, but stopped when he saw Jack yawning. Leading him to the room with the massive bed in it, he wished Jack a good night and saw the lad tumble into bed before leaving the tower.

Sometime later, Jack was rousted from his bed by a loud sound at the door, a hammering sort of pounding that caused him to grip his staff (which he had been sleeping with) even more tightly before he realized where he was and had the events of the previous day filter slowly back into his head. Hearing the creak of the door opening, he peered around the edge of the skeletal mouth that made up his bedstand/canopy, to see Skeleton Jack peering around the edge of the door. He was followed by several shadows that tried to peer around him, the mayor, a middling-sized pale boy, and a whole horde of creatures that spilled into the staircase below. Several carried torches that burned with a blue flame, casting an eerie glow on the room, and all looked as though they were ready for a great event of some sort.

Skeleton Jack stepped forward. "Wake up, Jack! Tonight is the most glorious of nights, the one we prepare for all year long. It's our revel, our wild romp, our time that is most truly us…How fortunate you came in time for it! Tonight will be your first, of course, but I'm sure you'll do fine just the same."

"What is it?" asked Jack, curious at the reason that the entire town seemed to be boiling over. Whatever it was, surely it would be something interesting…

Skeleton Jack looked surprised. "Why, you don't know? It's Halloween!" Pausing, he gestured for the pale boy to come forward.

The boy was about the size of Jack, taller by about three inches. His skin was the whitest Jack had ever seen, and reminded him of the sheen frost had when first put on a leaf, in the coldest part of the night. Wispy pale yellow, almost-white hair framed grey eyes…No, Jack realized, the boy's right eye was a deep, blood-red color. He was dressed in a raggedy grey longshirt which reached to his elbows, seemingly almost shredded, and came down in tatters to about his knees, where he wore charcoal grey shorts that came only a few inches longer than his torn upper garment. He wore no shoes, and Jack could see black vines twined around his ankles in an almost living manner. Seeing them move a bit, Jack realized that they were, in fact alive, and wondered what that would feel like and why.

Skeleton Jack continued, "Wisp here has some new clothes for you, if you'd like them."

The boy—Wisp, Jack corrected himself, unfolded what now looked like a parcel, revealing the outfit.

The bottoms of it looked almost identical to the ones Jack was currently wearing, but instead of being brown was a deep black color, with storm-dark silver binding along the bottom. The shirt was a long sleeve that came to a torn, gathered cuff at the wrists. The main portion of it was black and appeared to shimmer softly in the blue light. Looking closer, Jack saw that portions around the neck, wrists, and hems had dark grey threads interspersed in them, swirling in spider-like patterns. The sleeves had the same dark grey spider-like patterns on them, but they also had stripe running down from shoulder to wrist.

Reaching out, he took it from Wisp with a nod of thanks, feeling the smooth texture wonderingly with his fingers. Frost blossomed from his touch, twining in a pattern reminiscent of the one on his hoodie.

"Thank you," he whispered. It seemed a bit embarrassing to him that this simple gift should mean so much to him—he'd seen the giving of far larger ones, but…for some reason he couldn't quite fathom, it did mean that much to him. Nobody had ever given him clothes before—the gift made him feel like a true part of Halloween Town.

Wisp smiled at him, and Skeleton Jack looked pleased. "We'll meet you at the gate, then—Wisp here has volunteered to wait for you and show you the way."

Jack nodded, a bit overwhelmed, but with a building excitement.

Skeleton Jack and the others left in a cackling mob, leaving Wisp standing alone.

He smiled. "I'll wait outside the door," he said. Hand on the doorhandle, he paused and looked back towards Jack. "I'm glad you've joined us," he said. "I think…we'll have many fun times with you here."

Then he left the room, leaving Jack to change dazedly. These people…_did_ want him. This feeling of being wanted was a new one to him. He had thought, with the Guardians, that he had been wanted, but when that had turned out to be false had lost all hope of ever being wanted like that again. Here, it seemed as though he hadn't only joined a community—but a family, one that he could finally belong in.

His reflection in the mirror seemed to reinforce his thought. If before he had felt like a true member of Halloween Town, now he looked the part as well.

Slipping out of his room in his new clothes, he nearly ran into Wisp and off the railing—Wisp caught him with a laugh. "Careful there, Jack—It's a long way down from here!"

After a moment, Jack smiled. He had an idea. "Thanks, Wisp." He said slyly, then pretended to fall from the staircase. He heard Wisp's shout of alarm, which turned to one of amazement as Jack soared up high again, hovering at an equal level to him.

"You can fly?" breathed Wisp in amazement.

"Yes," laughed Jack, "You should have seen your face!"

Wisp's laughter joined Jack's. Moments later he accepted the offer of a flight down from Jack, and the two flew (at Wisp's direction) to a small, dark blue house on a crooked street.

They landed softly, and Jack asked puzzled, "I thought he said to meet him at the gate? Isn't the gate over there?" He pointed to the huge, wrought-iron structure visible over the housetops a few streets over.

Wisp smiled, and replied as he walked with Jack into the house. "Not that gate, the other one—the front gate leads you around the land here, but the other gate leads us to the Human realm for our festival. It's a bit complicated that way, and if we're not careful we might end up in another place of magic. I remember one time…"

But Jack hadn't heard anything past 'the Human realm.' What if he ran into one of the Guardians? The thought filled him with apprehension. To have gained all this, and see them again—he never wanted to do that. Ever.

Wisp had noticed the change in his mood, and stopped. "What's wrong, Jack?"

Jack didn't reply. He wasn't sure exactly…how to say it, if he wanted to say anything at all. He'd been alone for so long without someone to confide in that the thought of doing so…no. He'd wait a bit and make sure that this wasn't like the Guardians situation, _then_ decide what to do.

He tried to smile. "N-nothing," he replied brightly. "It's just, well…I may not be the most welcome there, at the moment..."

Wisp looked puzzled. "But didn't you come from…Ah. Well, if you're worried about someone recognizing you, I think you look different enough to hide well. You'll be in the middle of us as well, and harder to find that way. Your staff's a bit of a giveaway, but I think you'll be okay."

"Maybe." Jack replied, a bit dubiously. He did want to go, and it might just work. The Guardians probably wouldn't be there, right? After all, it wasn't as thought they could be everywhere, and they wouldn't want to find him anyway.

"Please come," pleaded Wisp, "It's the biggest event of the year, and we'd like it if you came…"

"Alright, I will," Jack decided. Pausing for a moment, he added softly, "Thanks, Wisp. It….really means a lot to me."

Reaching the others, Skeleton Jack greeted the duo warmly, before directing them into what appeared to be a closet, of all things. He explained that this was the way they had the easiest access to the Human realm. They had a specific closet to come out of, one where the child always was out for Halloween because, as Skeleton Jack explained, they didn't want to destroy people with fright. Rather, "life's no fun without a good scare." It was their job, and their joy, but it didn't mean they had to be cruel about it.

Pangs of conscious assuaged, Jack followed the group into the closet, ready for this wonderful Halloween.

Jaime Bennett was having a very bad day. Scratch that, a very bad couple of days. Directly after the battle with Pitch, he had been so caught up in making sure that everyone was okay to think of his newest friend, Jack. By the time he once again had the presence of mind to wonder about him Jack was nowhere to be seen. Still, he thought Jack had gone off with the Guardians, to celebrate, and went outside waiting for Jack to come back, to play with him—but he never came. Day after fall day remained without snow, and Jaime began to notice that Jack wasn't with the Guardians, and when inquired about, they all looked guilty.

Jaime never stopped believing, though. Even with Jack's rather conspicuous absence, he kept on believing. He had to believe.

Now, a few days later on Halloween, Jaime didn't want to do anything at all. He had pleaded sickness to his mom, who had stayed with him for a bit before heading out to trick-or-treat with Sophie. Lying on his bed in a dark house, he puzzled over these facts, wondering where Jack was and where he had gone.

His musings were interrupted by a muffled thumping sound coming from under his bed and in his closet. He froze. What was it? Was Pitch back? Times of huddling in his bed and hoping the sounds wouldn't hear him flashed through his mind, bringing a sort of terror with them. If it was Pitch, where were the Guardians? Hadn't he helped them? Wasn't it their job to protect children from things like this? Where was Jack?

Jack. He had to have faith. Jack wouldn't let him down.

At that moment, the doors to his closet burst open, and a horde of dark figures burst through. They were of all different sizes, capering about to the sound of strange, eerie music that made his hair stand on end. Some of the figures carried blue fire torches, which revealed the most frightening creatures he'd ever seen. The parade was led, he noticed in horror, by a grinning skeleton, which seemed to be cackling in glee. A few small figures darted forward, and the skeleton appeared to be trying to organize them.

A hand with snake-like fingers reached form under his bed, and a huge, hulking figure emerged, eyes glowing red in the darkened room. Jaime gasped, and the room fell silent. The crowd turned almost as one to look at him., and the music fell silent, the quiet almost worse than the music had been.

Steeling himself, he tried to sit up taller in his bed, clutching the blanket to him tightly. "I-I'm not…a-afraid of you!" he managed. He had faced Pitch Black, he could do this.

A murmuring swept through the assembly. Not afraid of them? This boy?

The skeleton in the front stepped closer to his bed, and Jaime had to force himself not to shrink backwards. Think of Jack, he thought to himself.

It tilted it's head to one side, presumably with curiosity. "Why not, little boy?" it asked, in a surprisingly normal voice.

"B-Because," Jaime replied, feeling a bit braver. "Jack Frost will protect me." As he said it, he felt sure it was true—no matter what happened, Jack would make sure he was safe.

The skeleton looked surprised, and turned to the crowd behind him. It parted, as a pale, black-garbed figure came forward. It seemed familiar, but Jaime couldn't quite place where he had seen it before. Then, as it reached his bedside, it crouched down beside him.

"J-Jaime?" asked the pale boy, in a shaking voice.

_ How does he know my…_Then it hit him. The figure's size, shock of white hair….sure enough, Jaime saw it's hand was clasping a staff. His eyes widened with excitement, and he forgot the rest of the creatures surrounding him. He saw only his best friend, the winter spirit who had saved him, played with him, brought him so much joy…"Jack?"

The figure nodded, smiling hesitantly.

"Jack!" exclaimed Jaime, and threw himself at the winter spirit. Jack seemed surprised, but returned Jaime's hug. "You're back! I knew you were okay!"

Drawing back a little, Jaime asked, "Where have you been? Nobody's known where to find you! I've been worried. I'I was afraid…that-that maybe Pitch had gotten you…"

Jack stiffened, and Jaime's worry for him grew. Something was not right. He could only hope there was something he could do for his friend.

"I left, Jaime," replied Jack in a soft voice. The others…didn't want me, and I thought it'd be better if…" He broke off suddenly, and Jaime could see how much it had hurt him to say those words.

"But…I thought the Guardians were looking for you…" Jaime managed. Jack's face darkened.

"Only because they were ordered to," he replied, "But I won't go back with them."

To his surprise, the skeleton stepped forward and placed a comforting hand on Jack's shoulder, who relaxed ever so slightly. Then the skeleton spoke. "He found us," it said, "And found a new home. _We_ don't think he's a waste of space. "

There was a great sound of agreement and assent from the corner of the room, and Jaime remembered that there was a crowd of creatures there. He looked at them carefully, now no longer afraid. Or at least, not as much—there were still a few he could see that he would not like to meet alone. Rather than looking as frightening, they looked…interesting. Like something he'd read about before, in a book of legends.

"These people accepted me, Jaime," said Jack quietly. "Just like you did. I have a home, friends…I don't want to go back to the others. Please don't tell them you've seen me, or that you know where I am."

"I wouldn't do that, Jack!" exclaimed Jaime, a tad indignantly. "If you don't want them to know, I promise I won't say anything."

Jack's dazzling smile was answer enough. "Thanks, Jaime."

Kneeling, the skeleton spoke directly to Jaime. "My name is Jack Skeleton. May I presume you are a friend of Jack's?" At Jaime's nod, he continued. "As Jack is now a member of our community, I'd like to offer you a way to see him, and he you. I can see how much you mean to him, and that is something it would be a true shame to lose. Will you accept?"

Jaime's breath caught in his throat. A way for him to see Jack, just like that? He nodded, eyes shining, and saw Jack's face split into the proper, wide grin that fit so well on his face. He looked surprised, and touched. This skeleton wasn't so bad after all.

Skeleton Jack reached out, and Jaime saw a small, knotted bracelet in his hand. It appeared to be made of a thick, cord-like material, and in it was tied several shiny black stones that were glowing with the same faint blue light of the troop's torches. At the final part of each end, there were two small, black feathers. He tied it onto Jaime's left wrist.

"This is a Halloween charm," Skeleton Jack informed him. "We only give out a few, but it will lead you to us whenever you want to come. It has a bit of protective properties, as well as a few other…things that might develop in time; it varies from person to person."

"Thank you," replied Jaime solemnly.

"And now, " enthused Skeleton Jack, getting to his feet, "It's Halloween, and time for our revel! It's Jack's first time as part of the Pumpkin Festivities—get dressed, Jaime! Come with us!"

Jaime turned to Jack, whose eyes were shining, then back to Skeleton Jack. "I'd love to come!" he exclaimed.

Skeleton Jack laughed, and called for "a cloak for the lad!" It was a nice sound, Jaime thought as they passed him the most interesting outfit he had ever seen. These weren't the monsters he had first thought them to be—they were more like people. They weren't that different from the people at school, except they looked different, and could do cool stuff. They hadn't done anything to hurt him—so far, he thought they were nothing like Pitch. It might take a while, but he was willing to try his best to like them—after all, they had shown Jack friendship.

Grabbing his clothes, he quickly ran to the bathroom and changed, returning ready for a wild Halloween night.

**Once again, any ideas, questions, comments-review and let me know! **


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